What do you get when you take Hayao Miyazaki, , mix in an equal amount of H.P.Lovecraft, a little bit of Ichigo Marshmallow, and a dash of J.R.R. Tolkein?
You get this masterpiece of fantasy genre, 'Made in Abyss'! This movie is a compilation of the first eight episodes and if you haven't watched the TV series, it is a damn good edit. This is really a perfect way to check it out if you have limited time and I highly recommend it.
Story: Without giving too much away, a friend of mine compared this series to One Piece...which had me going "Huh" but once I read some of the OP manga, I totally get what he means now. This story is a grand scale adventure of the most exciting kind. Because it's such a big story, pretty much anything is possible.
"Hey, there's a giant hole in the middle of town that stretches thousands and thousands of meters; let's go jump in it and see what we can find!"
That's the plot. It's so simple yet so brilliant, right?
Art: Breath-takingly gorgeous animation. Especially the backgrounds. There's a ton of creativity here. Tsukushi is a big fan of critters and there are lots and lots of imaginative critters in the abyss. That's where the 'Hiyao Miyazaki' aspect comes in. But Tsukushi isn't copying Miyazaki's style; this is very much his own. Some are adorable and some are terrifyingly hideous and ugly just like the real animal kingdom we come in contact with every day. Which makes it feel all the more real.
The child characters are round-faced and cute. I was in fact surprised that this WASN'T from the artists behind Ichigo Marshmallow because the resemblance is uncanny. And then there are the adults who are almost as unique as the creatures like Ozen and Habo. I especially love Lyza's Valkryie-esque design. It makes her limited screentime very charming.
Sound: If the art falls under 'Scenery Porn', the music most definitely falls under 'Ear Porn'. The score is fantastic and unlike anything you've really heard before. Which was the staff's goal; "we don't want this to sound like it's from just one country. That's too easy to do." So they met with a man from Australia (yes, that's right) and he composed the score. I would love to own the OST of this. There is a vocal song...that doesn't really say anything but it is so beautiful. You'll have to listen for yourself because I can't even describe it. Like....I dunno 'Enya but so much better'?
I haven't watched the dub yet but the Japanese voice actors are top-notch. The children are really cute. Ozen's seiyuu is silky-smooth which makes her feel even MORE intimidating, oddly. And old-school anime fans will be delighted that the narrator and Lyza, Riko's mother are voiced by Maaya Sakamoto (Hitomi from Escaflowne and many other notable 90s anime roles)
Character: This is probably Abyss's 'weakest' part and when I say 'weakest', I only mean 'slightly less fantastic than everything else that is so amazingly good'. Lol So they are STILL very very good. Riko is plucky and brave; basically a walking guidebook to the Abyss. She knows everything the experienced adults of her world know because she's utterly fascinated with the giant hole. ('Riko' in Japanese does mean "clever" and I have a hunch that's why she is named so).
Though Riko is smart, she still pretty naive and physically weak (because she is a 12-year-old girl). She's mischievous and always getting in trouble so she's also fun to watch. Not a lot of time passes between episodes 1-8 (this movie) so she doesn't really...develop or change but in this case, it's not that necessary.
There's also Reg, the super-adorable (he's my favorite ok) maybe-a-robot-maybe-not mysterious little boy who seems to have come up from the Abyss itself and takes on the role of Riko's bodyguard and protector (possibly future love interest because he blushes around Riko a lot and it's freaking cute lol) Reg is the more intriguing of the two because we know next to NOTHING about him and the cast, like the audience is willing to die for the answers.
The lesser characters are either cutely inoffensive, charming, or plain intriguing. Ozen definitely stands out as the most intriguing among the adults. But I'd also like to know more about Lyza. And though he has only a tiny role, I'm fond of Jirou. But he's just that type of anime guy I go for. *laughs*
Enjoyment/ Overall: .....as if you couldn't tell from everything above, I REALLY enjoy this series a lot. It's vastly entertaining and will fill you with a sense of childlike wonder.
However...
This is NOT for children. Oh I know it looks innocent enough with how cute everyone is but don't be fooled; this show is the POSTER CHILD of the phrase 'Don't judge a book by its cover'. You see, as Riko and Reg venture further down into the Abyss, the plot grows darker with each layer. The Abyss is dangerous and Tsukushi wants everyone to know it and experience it. And experience it, we do. This first movie is just the TIP of the disturbing iceberg. If you're planning on continuing to movie two, BRACE YOURSELF.
One last thing: There are...some odd innuendo jokes going on with the young characters and you WILL probably pick up on lolicon undertones. Some people who have watched this are rather disturbed by it. But I do think it'd be a shame to forfeit this amazing title just because of small scenes like that. There's just so much more to partake in.
